Machine for use in gathering cotton.



J. P. OSHAUGHNESSY. MACHINE FOR USB 1N GATHERING COTTON. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 9, 1913.

1,103,621 A Patented July 14,1914.

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'narran sfra'rns PATENT onirica.

JAMES E.r OSHAUGHNESSY, OF NEW Yoan, n. Assrenon, BY Mnsnn ,Assrcfiv- MENTS, TO COTTON GATHERING CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., CORPORA- TION OF DELAWARE.

MACHINE FOR USE IN GATHERNG COTTON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1a, 1914.

Application filed August 9,1913. Serial No. 783,950.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES F. OSHAUGH- NnssY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York,` in the county and State of New York, have made a certain newv Machines for Use and useful Invention in in Gathering Cotton, of ing is a specification.

This invention relates to use in gathering-cotton.

The object of the invention is to provide which the followmachines for a machine which is light, simple, and ecoranged to receive the picked cotton from the hands of the pickers or operators, orr

into which the picked cotton may be thrown, and arranged to direct the same into the bags.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location and arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying` drawings, and to the various views and reference signs appearing` thereon-Figure 1 is a view in rear elevation of a machine embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation on a reduced scale. Fig. 4 is a detail view in longitudinal section of a deiiecting chute employed to receive the cotton from the hands of the pickers or operators, and to direct the same into the bags.

The same part is designated by the same reference sign wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

The difficulty heretofore experienced in employing machines for relieving the laborers of the fatigue and toil incident to the cotton picking or gathering operation,

` has been the great weight of the machine and the complicated gearing and operating mechanism employed. It is difficult to handle the large, heavy, cumbersome machines in the field, and the complicated machinery requires the constant care and attention of a skilled mechanic, the ordinary farm laborer not` being competent for the purpose. Again, the large heavy machines usually require power engines to move them, thereby introducing additional elements requiring the care and skill of a trained mechanic. Moreover the great cost of construction of large heavy machines places them out of the reach of small farmers. For these and other reasons, machines of this vclass have not so far, come into very extensive or general use.

It is among the special purposes of the present. invention to provide a machine for use in harvesting cotton which is exceedingly simple and economical in structure, and the cost of which is brought within the reach of individual farmers owning or cultivating only small farms.

It is also among the special purposes of the invention to provide a machine for the purpose referred to, which is efiicient in that it provides means to receive the cotton, as gathered, from the hands of the laborer, thereby relieving the laborer of the necessity of carrying bags to receive the picked cotton, and which bags not only impose wearisome toil, but fatigue and wear on the laborers by reason of the increasing weight thereof, as the work progresses, but which also hamper the free movements of the laborers in their work, and hence `materially decrease their daily capacity or output.

ln carrying out my invention Tv provide a machine of the light sulky pattern, thatis, a machine having only two wheels and a light sulky frame supported thereby, with the axle bar arched upwardly so as to enable the support-ing wheels to straddle two or more, preferably two, rows of cotton stalks. I also provide the sulky frame with shafts or poles, or other necessary draft appliances by means of which the machine may be pulled or hauled along or through the shafts or poles 10,

` mouth of the, chute,

\ as the chute,

soy

without the necessity of employing skilled.

mechanics or engineers. And I provide the machine with suit-ably and conveniently arranged d-irecting or guiding chutes into which the picked cotton can be readily thrown by the laborer, as the machine progresses along, and which serves to guide and direct-the' cotton into bags suspended in position to receive lthe lsame from said chutes.k These, characteristic features of the construction which'I have shown as an operative embodiment, of the principles of my invention.

In the drawingr 5, 6, designates the two supporting wheels of the machine. These wheels yare journaled on stub axles 7, formed 8. The axleI bar, between its ends, is

arched upwardly and may be of: such length'.

asv to enable the wheels 5, 6, to span the desired. number of rows of cotton stalks, say, yfor instance, wardly thereby, is thelight frame 9, which,if desired may serve as a support for` the bags of cotton as they become filled from the de liecting and directing chutes presently to be described. To this frame 9, are connected and other suitable draft appliances, if desired, as indicated at 11, to afford means for hitching a mule or horse to the machine to haul the same along. I

Atjsuitable points on the machine frame I mount the directing chutes 12. These are formed of any suitable material, preferably of thin sheet iron, tinvor the like,1and have sides 13, -and a bottom vlll. In practice I prefer to formV the sides 13, with a slight outward, flare, as shown, but in this respect my invention is` not to loek limited or yrestricted inthe broadest scope thereof as defined in the claims. I also prefer to provide the chutes with closed upper ends, as indicated; atf16. At their lower ends the sides113, of eachchute are converged toward each other to form a delivery mouth, and any suitable or desirable means may be preovided for detachably connecting the mouth of acottonjreceiving bag 20 over this delivery mouthv ofthe directing chute., I have n shown va simple embodiment of the idea, wherein a strap or loop 17, encompasses `the and said strap as well may be provided with hooks, 18,` or other receiving and holding the mouth of the cottonreceiving bags in position for the cotton thrown into'the chute to be directed and to fall into the receiving bag. The chutesl are supported vertically upon the frame with'the open side or face vthereof may be positioned at any generally, are the essentialI venient point or points on ,edonthe aXle bar 8, in position on or carried by the ends ofv theaXlebarl e two. Extending forfrom the' axley bar and supported .rearward side 13 of said side wheels operate.

suitable. engaging` devices for presented toward the location of the laborers who are to gather or pick the cotton. In practice I upwardly and away from the laborer in korder to insure the proper reception and deprefer to slightly incline the chute i The flaring sides of the.V chute also aidin insuring thereception ofv thel cotton into` the chutes when thrown from a distance.

As labove indicated, the directing chutes suitable or conthe machine, de-

pending on the desired capacity of the Vma-y l chine. In the particular shown, to which, however, my not to he limited. or restricted, five vof -such chutes are shown. Three of these are mountarrangement wardly fromv the machine; while lanother chute is arranged on each side of the frame and supported therefrom in any suitable or convenient manner, as, for instance, by means ofV brackets 21. These side chutes preferably face outwardly ifrom the sidesl of the machine, and, in practice I prefer `to eX tend the forwardl sideof the chute, as indicated at. 22, farther outwardly than the chutes, so that, if desired, the laborers using may not be directly opposite the side chutes, but, if necessary, may be slightly to the rear of said chutes, The side chutes are the side chutes to face'frearpreferably so positioned that jthe bagsv`20v dependingfrom the lower ends thereof, may

hang down infront of the, wheels of the inachine and/in the same spaces betweenthe same rows of cottonA stalks in which the -The rear chutes mayalso be conveniently positioned for the'bags depending therefrom to be suspended between adjacent `rows of stalks. If desired, the rear .chutes may he made-adjustable as to their positions transversely of themachine so as to accommodate'rows of different widths. This may be accomplished in any convenient way. ,Merely as illustrative of one arrangement. forl this purpose, I have shown the aXle'bar 8, provided with a series of bolt vholes 23 into any one of which the bolts 24,

see Fig. 4, for supporting the chutes on said, bar, may be inserted to secure the desired' spacing apart ofthe chutes.

The operation of the machine is exceed-k ingly simple and will bereadily understood. The machine is idrawn through .the field slowly, or byvshort stages. The pickers follow the machine, those in the rear of the machine picking the cotton and as they pick the cotton they throw it into the chutes which directs and guides the same into the bags which are supported with their dis-V tended mouths encompassing the lowerl ends of.l the chutes.. Theflaring side iianges insure the reception of the cotton into the 80 .inventionl is v chutes even when thrown from a distance, and the closed upper ends 16, prevent the cotton from escaping from the chute if thrown with too great a force. rlhe inclination of the chutes away from the laborers permits the force under which the cotton is thrown into the chutes to be expended, after impact with the bottoms of the chutes, without causing a rebound of the cotton from the chute and the consequent liability of its spilling from the chute onto the ground. By thus expending the force of the throw of the cotton it is evident that the cotton, thereafter, slides downwardly by gravity being guided by the directing chute, and falls into the open receiving mouth of the bag. As the bags become filled up the contents thereof may be crowded down by hand until the bag is completely filled when it is detached thrown up on the retaining part 9 of the frame and an empty bag is suspended from the chute in its place. ln this manner the laborers follow up the machine as it progresses through the field, and harvest the cotton easily and with minimum physical labor and fatigue. rlhe laborers being entirely free and unhampered in their work are enabled to greatly increase their daily capacity, thereby increasingl their daily compensation, while at the same time the harvesting of the crop is eected more satisfactorily, rapidly and quickly than has been possible heretofore. lt will also be seen that the same machine may accommodate several laborers at the same time, while each laborer can keep the product of his work separate from that of the other laborers. rlihe use and operation of the side chutes is the same as above described with reference to the rear chutes except that in this case the laborers using them are positioned at the sides instead of at the rear of the machine.

it will be observed that in a machine embodying the principles of my invention avoid the use of traveling carriers or elevators, or other complicated gearing or machinery. rlhe machine can be made very light and is cheaply constructed at minimum cost. rlhere is nothing about the machine to get out of order or adjustment. rlihe arched axle enables the same and also the filled bag supporting frame 9 to readily pass over the tops of the cotton stalks without injury thereto.

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention, and a construction embodying the principles thereof, what I claim as new and useful, and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,--

1. in a machine for use in gathering cotton, a frame, supporting wheels therefor, a directing chute mounted on said frame in vertically inclined position said chute havton, a frame,

ing closed sides and bottom and an open front, and means for suspending a receiving bag over the delivery mouth of said chute.

2. ln a machine for use in gathering cotsupporting wheels therefor, a chute mounted on said frame and having closed sides and bottom and open front, the open front being presented outwardly from the frame, the sides of said chute being flared and means for suspending a receiving bag over` the mouth of said chute.

3. In a machine for use in gathering cotton, a frame, supporting wheels therefor, a chute mounted on said frame in vertically inclined position, and having closed sides and bottom and open front, the open front being presented outwardly from the machine, and means for suspending a receiving bag over the lower delivery mouth of the chute.

4. ln a machine for use in gathering cotton, a frame, supporting wheels therefor, a chute mounted on said frame in vertical position, and having closed sides and bottom, and an open front presented away from the machine, the sides of the chute converging toward each other at their lower ends to form a delivery mouth and means for suspending a bag beneath said mouth.

5. ln a machine for use in gathering cotton, a frame, supporting wheels therefor, a chute mounted on said frame in vertically inclined position, and having a bottom and sides, and closed at its upper end, the front of said chute being open, and means for suspending a bag beneath the lower delivery mouth of said chute.

6. ln a machine for use in gathering cotton, a frame, sup-porting wheels therefor, a chute mounted on said frame in vertically inclined position, and having a bottom and sides, and closed at its upper end, the front of said chute being opened, and the sides being flared away from each other but converging at their lower ends to form a delivery mouth, and means for suspending a bag beneath said delivery mouth.

7. ln a machine for use in gathering cotton, a frame, supporting wheels'therefor, a chute mounted on the rear of and having an open front presented rearwardly from said frame,'and means for suspending the open mouth of a receiving bag beneath the delivery mouth of said chute.

8. ln a machine for use in gathering cotton, a frame, supporting wheels therefor, a chute mounted on the rear of said frame fol1 transverse adjustment thereon, and having an open front presented rearwardly from the machine, and means for suspending a receiving bag from the delivery mouth of said chute.

9. 1n a machine for use in gathering cotton, a frame, supporting wheels therefor,

chutes mounted on the frame at the rear Witnesses, on this 28th day of Jnly A. 11,' and sides thereof, Said chutes having open A1913. v fronts presented away from said frames,

Y and means for supporting receiving bags JAMES -F' OSHAUGHNESSY' ,5 -at' the delivery mouths of said chutes. W/Vitnesses:I

` In testimony whereof I have hereunto set G. A. MCGRATH, my hand in the presence of the subscribing A. DARBY.

. Copies of this lpatent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

